Artist, Instructor, using only Free/Libre and Open-Source software since 2009.

Krita brushes: Charcoal pencils

Published on 18 january 2017

Video with a quick description/demo of the brushes, how-to install, and a timelapse.

Update:This resources is outdated and unmaintained : it probably won't work as designed with recent version of Krita. Check the 'extras' category to find the most recent brushes. Also, this three brush are now installed by default in Krita 4, you probably already have them instaled in your brush list.

Here
is three new presets inspired by charcoal pencils, colored pencils and
pencils in general. In short; these are just preset with a sublte grainy
paper easy on eyes, with a cool and smooth grain and with also a sweet
pressure curve. I hope you'll like them and have fun maintaining a
digital-sketchbook folder!

Interesting. I don't have a lot of informations, but it can be:
- The *.zip I uploaded is corrupted, and you are the first one to try it. ( I doubt this, because I would have more feedback, but it's a possibility ).
- Your download of the *.zip file was corrupted, and so the data inside it.
- Disk read/write error.
- By your path /home/algot/Charcoal_pencils.bundle , I think you are on GNU/Linux or BSD ( or Mac? I heard Mac use also Unix way of naming system folders )
- I tested the bundle with Krita 3.1.1 appimage on Manjaro. But! a 3.1.1 packaged by a distribution can have specific problems, with specific Qt patched version, etc...
- (I18N_ARGUMENT_MISSING) , sounds like your Krita expect a translation for the bundle. It doesn't make sens, but I tested with a Krita in english. Do you use a system with another language?
All in all, your issue is probably better reported on the bug-tracker of Krita, with more information about your system, hardware, etc... Krita's developpers don't have time to read the comments of my blog; they have really busy time already with their own IRC channel, forum and bug tracker. I hope you 'll understand it, and also understand how important is it for you to help solving this bug. Because I know by experience maybe 10 persons will get your bug, and only 1 will take the time and do the effort to report it and solve it for the 9 other. ( and I'm generous on the 1/10 ratio here ). :-)

Hi Liz!
I'm using Manjaro XFCE now. I just have the panel to the top, and I use the theme numix-themes-archblue-git combined with Mint-X Aqua icons. The windows decoration is an extra thin decoration: https://github.com/Deevad/Darkcompact_xfwm4-theme.

I'm using the filemanager Nemo in XFCE instead of the proposed Thunar, because this way I can get the preview of *.kra and *.ora files with the https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/gnome-kra-ora-thumbnailer/ AUR. ( in Manjaro, installing AUR is easy; from the Pamac, the package manager to install software and remove them ).
On the downside, no color icc launcher/calibrator included in Xfce, so I'm using DisplayCal , an external app, and load my icc with command line at startup using dispwin ; and for the wacom tablet, I'm using a xsetwacom script at startup.

In production on Pepper&Carrot, I'm still using this Krita appimage version as my stable : krita-3.0.1-Alpha-4c91a18-x86_64.appimage from https://krita.org/en/item/krita-3-0-1-development-builds/ ; it's more stable than 3.1.1 for the core painting experience. But 3.1.1 is better for Stabilizer. So I'm using recent 3.1.1 to draw, and old to paint. Not a clean situation, but it works. I consider 3.1.1 still as a beta version. Not a release. I'm working to report as much as I can for 3.1.2 or 3.1.3 to be my next stable app.
Don't install Krita from the install/remove software on Manjaro ; it's 3.1.1 but a 3.1.1 compiled and using Qt5.7. Developpers are still using 5.6 and needs to patch it. Krita from package on Manjaro/Arch/Antergos/etc... is broken with it. Many issues, focus with mouse, mouse-wheel, dual monitor , etc... Appimage contains their own version of Qt, patched by Krita team, so the quality is better on them.

Exept all of this , Manjaro is cool. It needs maintainance, not all update are 100% smooth, but it's easy to fix because the dev of Manjaro often leaves a lot of information on the forum about major updates. I learned with it to 'fix my install' and not 'reinstall'. I'm running the same system since May 2016 now. I'm using the Arch Wiki ( a very updated documentation, going very deep on every topic ) to fix my hardware driver, fine tune the system. I could this way install my scanner, microphone, printer just the way I want, and now the system keep rolling and update. As Manjaro is rolling distro , it's evolving all the time. I hope the installer will work as good as it was for me if you try it. Good luck!

Hi David can you help me please. I am an old man now nearly 80 years and i draw on paper to combat Arthritis pain. I recently downloaded Krita 3.0 but for some reason (my own fault i suspect) i cannot get to draw on a new document at all .I am not computer literate so i would need step by step guide thank you .I realise you must be a very busy man and if you cannot help no worries .Thank you for your very good tutorials and if possible could you email a solution Thank you so much. Regards George.

Hi George, Thank you for your nice words.
Your problem with Krita can come from many sources: the tablet, the graphic card driver, the operating system, the Krita version. I can't give a solution without more informations. Also, if your system is a Windows system or Mac , I'll probably can't help ; because I'm using only Linux since 2009. In this case, contact the Krita team on their forum here: https://forum.kde.org/viewforum.php?f=139

Hello, I'm sorry to say that i have a problem with this bundle. I import it using manage resources, but the brushes do not show up. In the docker, the tag is visibe but once i click it, there is no thumbnails inside. I have Krita 3.2.1, can you please tell me how to fix it?

My mistake came from my limited knowledge of Krita :).
When I opened the "manage resources" window, I didn't read the titles for the frames; "active bundle" and "inactive bundle", and i kept switching my bundle to "inactive". Of course, after watching for an upteenth time video guides on yt, and miutes after writing a comment to you, I've realized my stupid little mistake, But thanks for taking interest :D

Hi,
first I would like to thank you for your wonderful brushes. I really like this charcoal package and
I use it for my scatches nearly every day.
After upgrading to Krita 3.3.1 I noticed that your brushes are not working anymore. For now, I reverted
to Krita 3.3.0 so your brushes are working correctly.
Hope you will find the time to look into this issue, cos I would really like to use the brushes in the updated Krita versions.

I too use these brushes with great pleasue, but I also experienced that the texture dissappaered after upgrading to latest version of Krita (like Sam above). So now it just looks like plain default brushes with no texture. I can get texcture again if I go in and select texture, but it will dissapear after restarting Krita and it also looks like pressure is not working 100 % :-(